Fiber glass groove packing

ABSTRACT

A fiber glass rope packing comprises slivers of C-grade, K diameter staple glass fibers which are twined. The packing is at least 96% by weight staple glass fibers which fibers are impregnated with an anti-static and lubricating agent.

United States Patent Barnett Nov. 13, 1973 FIBER GLASS GROOVE PACKING3,042,544 7/1966 Marzocchi et al. 117/126 60 x 75 I I B 3,066,38312/1962 Marzocchi et al 57/140 0 x 1 arm, Mamnsvlne 3,534,652 10/1970Zumeta et al 117/126 01-" ux [73] Assignee, JohnSManvme Corporation,3,538,700 11/1970 116161 57/140 0 ux Denver, C010.

[22] Filed: June 15 1972 Primary Examiner-Donald E. Watkins Appl. No.:263,027

57/140 G; 117/126 GF,126 60 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS6/1951 McMullen 57/140 G UX Att0rney.lohn A. McKinney et a].

[57] ABSTRACT A fiber glass rope packing comprises slivers of C- grade,K diameter staple glass fibers which are twined. The packing is at least96% by weight staple glass fibers which fibers are impregnated with ananti-static and lubricating agent.

9 Claims, No Drawings FIBER GLASS GROOVE PACKING BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to a glass fiber rope packingand in particular, to a glass fiber rope packing adapted for use understatic conditions. Rope packings, which are generally either twistedrope or braided rope packings, are ideal general-purpose packings. Theycan be used for emergency packing and gasketing where other materialsare not available. The packings can also be used as packings where theshape or condition of the equipment will not allow the use of lesspliable, less adaptable materials. These packings are commonly used ingrooves for door sealing, between boiler sections and expansion joints.They can also be used for wrapping steam and exhaust lines where spacelimitations preclude formed insulation as well as for many other uses.

Packings suited for the above uses must be soft and resilient. In thepast, such packings have been made by either twisting, braiding orplaiting carded slivers of asbestos fiber or strips of light densityasbestos paper. However because of the uncertain supply of uniformquality asbestos fiber, the relatively high cost of manufacturing suchfiber into rope form and the need to use a special grade of asbestosfiber for packings utilized in acid service, the need has arisen to finda replacement for asbestos.

Accordingly it is the object of the present invention to provide arelatively inexpensive replacement for asbestos fiber which can beutilized for both acid and nonacid service for temperatures ranging upto about 900 F. It is a further object of the invention to provide apacking which is compressible and lofty (i.e., possesses bulky andspringy or resilient qualities) so that the packing will form a goodseal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The glass fiber rope packing of the presentinvention comprises at least 96 percent by weight C-grade staple glassfibers. Due to the random length of the fibers and the high degree offiber disarray in the slivers of the packing, the packing iscompressibleand lofty. The slivers of the staple glass fibers are twisted, braidedor plaited together to form the fiber glass rope packing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The fiber glass rope packing ofthe present invention is made up of staple glass fibers and ananti-static and lubricating agent. In percentages by weight, the packingis 96 percent to 99.5 percent by weight staple glass fibers and 0.5percent to 4 percent by weight anti-static and lubricating agent. In apreferred embodiment, the rope packing is, in approximate percentages byweight, 98 percent staple glass fibers and 2 percent anti-static andlubricating agent.

The rope packing has good acid resistance and a maximum soluble chloridecontent of 100 parts per million. Due to the randomly orientednon-compacted staple glass fibers of the packing, the packing possessesthe desired compressibility and loftiness required of a material forpacking purposes. In addition, the staple glass fibers are able towithstand temperatures of about 900 F thereby making the packingscommercially acceptable for use in environments having temperaturesranging up to about 750 F with a safety factor of 150 with some of thefibers being as short as 1 inch in length. The glass fibers are achemical or C-grade glass and have a K diameter e.g., about 12 to 14microns.

The anti-static and lubricating agent is preferably an alcohol phosphatesuch as that marketed by E.I. Du- Pont De Numeors under the trade markZELECK. The anti-static and lubricating agent facilitates themanufacture of the rope packing by minimizing fiber breakage as well asimproving the handling qualities of the rope packing.

The rope packing is madeby utilizing slivers of staple glass fiberwherein the fibers are of random length and in a state of disarray. Theantistatic and lubricating agent is applied to the sliver prior totwisting the sliver. One form of applying the anti-static andlubricating agent is to apply the agent by means of a rotating groovedwheel as each sliver is en route from the raw sliver cheeses to a winderwhere the sliver is wound into a spool for subsequent formingoperations. The speed of the applicator is adjusted to effect thenecessary impregnation of the sliver with the agent. For example, if itis desired to have the finished product contain about 2 percent byweight agent, the speed of the applicator is adjusted for about 30percent wet pick-up from a 7 percent solids solution of the agent.

Each sliver is then drawn off the spool and passed through aconventional twister (e.g., a Haskill Dawes twister) where the sliversare individually twisted, in either an S or Z direction, at 15 to 20turns per foot.

In order to make a rope form suitable for use as a packing or gasket, aplurality of the slivers are combined in a conventional forming machinewhere they are twisted, braided or plaited together in such a mannerthat the slivers retain their compressibility and loftiness. Whenforming a twisted rope packing, a plurality of slivers are combined in aconventional forming machine where the slivers are grouped together anda small amount of twist is applied to retain the slivers in a unit form.The slivers are twisted together in a direction opposite to thedirection of twist of each individual sliver. Consequently, if theslivers have been twisted in the Z direction, the twist of the sliverscollectively will be in the S direction. Since the slivers are notcompacted during the forming operation, the finished product retains thecompressibility and loftiness originally present in the slivers. Afterthe rope packings have been formed the anti-static and lubricating agentis allowed to dry and the packings are ready for use.

The following tables are illustrative of typical rope packings of thepresent invention which range in diameter from 1/4 inch to 2 inches. The1/4 inch diameter rope is made from slivers of staple glass fiber, suchas that made by the Schuller process, which weigh about 600 ft/lbs andare initially formed into 1/8 inch twisted slivers.

Direc- Feet/lb Size tion Number of if: in. used Nominal inch of twistCore Peri- Total 10% meter Direc- Feet/lb Size tion Number of H4 in.Used Nominal inch of twist Core Peri- Total 10% meter /4 Z S 3 3 70 V2 SO 4 4 35 5 S l S 9 l6 1 S 4 l0 l4 9 2 S 34 22 56 2 What I claim is:

1. A glass fiber rope packing comprising: compressible and lofty sliversof C-grade staple glass fibers wherein said fibers are in a state ofhigh disarry, said slivers being twined together, and said packing inapproximate percentages by weight being at least 96 percent by weightstaple glass fibers.

2. The fiber glass rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein anapproximate percentages by weight said packing is 0.5 percent to 4percent by weight anti-static and lubricating agent.

3. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein saidstaple glass fibers are 12 to 14 microns in diameter.

4. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein saidslivers are twisted together.

5. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein saidslivers are braided together.

6. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein at leastone of said slivers is a core and remaining slivers envelope said core.

7. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein saidslivers each have a twist in one direction and said slivers are twinedtogether with twist in an op posite direction.

8. The glass fiber glass rope packing as defined in claim 2 wherein saidanti-static and lubricating agent is an alochol phosphate,

9. A glass fiber rope packing comprising: compressible and lofty sliversof random length, C-grade staple glass fibers wherein said fibers are ina state of high disarray and said fibers are 12 to 14 microns indiameter, said slivers being twined together, with said slivers eachhaving a twist in one direction and said slivers being twined togetherin an opposite direction, and said packing in approximate percentages byweight being at least 98 percent by weight staple glass fibers with theremainder comprising anti-static and lubricating agent.

2. The fiber glass rope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein anapproximate percentages by weight said packing is 0.5 percent to 4percent by weight anti-static and lubricating agent.
 3. The glass fiberrope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein said staple glass fibers are12 to 14 microns in diameter.
 4. The glass fiber rope packing as definedin claim 1 wherein said slivers are twisted together.
 5. The glass fiberrope packing as defined in claim 1 wherein said slivers are braidedtogether.
 6. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 whereinat least one of said slivers is a core and remaining slivers envelopesaid core.
 7. The glass fiber rope packing as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid slivers each have a twist in one direction and said slivers aretwined together with twist in an opposite direction.
 8. The glass fiberglass rope packing as defined in claim 2 wherein said anti-static andlubricating agent is an alochol phosphate.
 9. A glass fiber rope packingcomprising: compressible and lofty slivers of random length, C-gradestaple glass fibers wherein said fibers are in a state of high disarrayand said fibers are 12 to 14 microns in diameter, said slivers beingtwined together, with said slivers each having a twist in one directionand said slivers being twined together in an opposite direction, andsaid packing in approximate percentages by weight being at least 98percent by weight staple glass fibers with the remainder comprisinganti-static and lubricating agent.